Depression 1 Flashcards
What is depression?
Persistantly low mood and/or loss of enjoyment in most activities and the associated emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioural symptoms
What are the core symptoms of depression?
- prolonged low mood
- frequently feeling fatigued/ lack of energy
- withdrawl from social activities
- insomina/ hypersomnia
- suicidal thoughts
- loss of enjoyment/ interest in pleasurable activities
- Reduced libido
- Weight gain/ loss
- Feeling worthless/ guilty
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How is depression diagnosed?
- Core symptoms present for 2 weeks
- Not due to drug/ alcohol missue, brevement, medicine or medical disorder
- Causes significant distress and/or imparement to social, occupational or general function
Describe the different severities of depression
- Mild: 4-5 core symptoms and minor social/ work impairment
- moderate: 5+ core symptoms and variable social/ work impairment
- severe: 5+ core symptoms and significatn social/ work impairment
- Sub threshold - less than 5 core symptoms required to make diagnosis. May have been going on for long time tho
What are the problems with diagnosing depression?
- Anxiety can obscure depressive symptoms
- Can be difficult to diagnose from normal saddness especially during breavement
What are complications associated with depression?
- Increases likelyhood of substance misuse
- Exacerbates pain, disability and distress with a range of physical diseases
- Increases mortality (death rate)
What are 2 examples of subtypes of depression?
- postnatal
- seasonal affective disorder
- What is seasonal affective disorder?
- What symptoms are there?
- What are the treatment methods?
- Depression associated with certain seasons
- Recurrent with generally mild to moderate symptoms: hypersomnia, low self-esteem, increased appetitie
- Light therapy (2 hours when waking and 30 maintance in winter) and fluoxetine
What is cyclothymia?
persistent mood instability
What is the relationship between number of depressive episodes and chance of recurrance?
Increase number of episodes, more likely to have another
What treatments are available for patients with depression?
- Psycotherapies (talking therapies)
- Electroconvulsive therapies
- Antidepressants
- placebo effect
Give examples of psychotherapy treatments
CBT and interpersonal pyschotherapy (IPT)
psychotherapies can have prophylactic effects
What causes depression?
The monoamine hypothesis: Lower levels of monoamines (mainly 5-HT and seretonin)
Describe electroconvulsive therapy
- Involves inducing a modified epileptic seizure
- Increases amount of NT released from the brain
- Increases BBB permeability
- Increased secretion of hypothalamic and pitiary hormones
Discuss reponse to antidepression drugs and placebo
AD drugs - 70% respond. P - 30% respond.
Takes around 8 weeks for tablet to work. Need to inform patient of this
